School-desk



(No Model.)

R. PARKER 8v S. W. LE NEVE.

SCHOOL DESK. No. 480,620. Patented Aug. 9, 1892.

lll ii Re, er dr er fig/LM UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT PARKER AND SANFORDVW. LE NEVE, OF LUDLOW, ILLINOIS.

SCHOOL-DESK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 480,620, dated August 9, 1892.

Application iiled March 5 ,1892.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we,rRoBERr PARKER and SANFORD W. LE NEVE,` citizens of the United States, residing at Ludlow, in the county of Champaign and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in School-Desks; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. v

This invention relates to furniture, and more especially to school-desks, although it is applicable to other pieces of furniture, such as opera-chairs andthe like; and the object of the same is to produce an improved desk or chair of this character which may be tilted forward to gain access to the floor beneath, as for sweeping or scrubbing.

To this end the invention consists in the construction hereinaftermore fully described and claimed, and as illustrated on the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein- Figure l is a perspective view of this desk complete, looking from the rear and showing the desk as having been disengaged from its floor-plates and slightly raised. Fig. 2 is a central cross-section of the desk in place, but tilted forward upon the floor, showing, also, the hinged book-shelf and the inkwell,which we prefer to use. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail showing the catch for the shelf.

Referring to the said drawings, the letter a. designates the desk-top supported by the end pieces b b, and c is a seat hinged to the front edges of the end pieces, while oZ is a board, which acts as the back for said seat in the usual manner. No novelty is claimed for this much of the construction.

Beneath the top a the end pieces b have ledges or cleats e, on which rests a board f, preferably secured thereto, as by screws e', and hinged at g to the rear edge of this board is a narrow strip h, adapted to fold upward, so as to prevent the books from being displaced. Through a hole b in the end piece b passes a block c', having its upper edge beveled inwardly, as at d', so as to nicely support the strip h when raised to an oblique position, and Z9 is a leaf-spring secured to the end piece and pressing this block normally inward when it passes either under or over upright position.

Serial No. 423.911. (No model.)

the strip h to hold it in one of two positions.

The ink-well c', which we preferably use in this connection, is seen in Fig. 2, and comprises a quarter-circle, whose upper end projects through the desk-top a and is closed by a cover j, whereby the ink is kept in the well even when the desk is tilted forward.

Za Zo are the forward foot-plates, secured to the floor, and Z Z are lugs rising from these plates and having eyes adapted to be engaged by pins m m, projecting from corresponding sides of the end pieces b b. When the desk is brought into place, so that these pins stand opposite the eyes, and moved laterally, the pins enter the eyes and pivotally connect the desk therewith.

n is a hollow rung connecting the end pieces at a proper point to form a foot-rest, and through this rung passes a rock-shaft o. To each end of the latter is secured an L-shaped rod p, whose upper end q acts as a foot-piece and whose lower end has an eye r.

s is a bolt or catch having an eye t linked into the eye r, the body of the bolt passing loosely to the rear through the rear foot of the end piece b and extending into a hole or socket u therein, as shown in section in Fig. l.

o o are the rearward foot-plates secured to the oor, and w w are pins rising from these plates and adapted to enter the holes u u when the desk is in place. In the front sides of these pins are cut notches adapted to be engaged by the ends of the bolts, and the upper ends of the pins are beveled, as at y, so that the bolts will be pressed in against the force of the coiled springs z, which bear the rods p in operative direction.

The foot-plates are secured to the iioor by screws or otherwise and in proper position to engage the feet of the end pieces and to space the desks sufficiently to allow them to be tilted forward when desired. Each desk is then brought into position,its pins m engaged with the eyes of the lugs Z, in the manner described above, and the desk then brought into This motion passes the holes u over the catch-pins w, whose beveled upper ends y press the bolts s inward, and when the notches a: come opposite the ends of the bolts the springs z throw the latter rearward, so that their ends engage said IOC as seen in Fig. 2. In this position the narrow hinged strip h of the book-shelf rises automatically and prevents the books from being displaced or covered with the dust of sweeping, while the block c is allowed to spring under this strip to hold it elevated, and the ink in the well hows to the lower and forward end of the curved body of the well, as

will be clear. The janitor can then sweep or scrub the floor under the desk without difficulty. When this `transverse line of desks has been attended to, they are stood upright, when the bolts automatically engage the catch-pins, and the next line forward is attended to.

To remove the desks from the Iioor and out of position, they are disengaged from the catch-pins, raised slightly, and then moved laterally, so that the pins m disengage the eyes in the lugs Z, as will be clear.

Obviously the ornamentation of the desk, its size, and the materials and proportions of parts have no bearing on the present invention. The latter can be varied to some considerable extent without losing sight of its principles. For instance, the book-shelf may be of other construction, as also may the ink well, and the lugs Zand pins m may be replaced by ordinary hinges in some cases, al-

though we prefer the construction shown and i described as `giving the best results.

What is claimed as new is- 1. In a desk, the combination, with the top and the end pieces, a board secured between the end pieces beneath the top, and a hinged strip at the rear edge of said board, of blocks passing through said end pieces and having their upper ends beveled, the lower ends of the blocks standing above the cleats and their i upper ends below the top a suiiicient distance to permit the blocks to hold said strip in either raised or lowered position,and leafsprings throwing said blocks normallyinward,

as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a desk, the combination, with footplates secured to the door and pins rising therefrom and having beveled upper ends and notches in their front faces, of thedesk proper, hinges between the forward feet of its end pieces and the iioor, its rearward feet having holes adapted to pass over said pins, and spring-actuated catches carried by said end pieces and extending into said holes trans- Versely, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with foot-plates secured to a floor and pins rising therefrom and having notches in their front faces, of a desk whose end pieces have their forward feet hinged to the door and their rearward feet provided with holes adapted to pass over said pins, a hollow rung connecting said end pieces, a rock-shaft extending therethrough,

L-shaped rods secured to the ends of said shaft, and a bolt linked to the depending arm of each rod and extending into the rearward foot at that end of the desk and intersecting the hole therein, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a desk, the combination, with footplates secured to the floor, lugs rising from the forward plates, having eyes, the desk proper, and laterally-projecting pins on the front feet of the end pieces of said desk, of pins rising fromthe rearward foot-plates and having notches, sockets Vor holes in the rear i feet of the end pieces, into which said `pins are adapted to pass when the front pins and eyes engage, and bolts mounted on the end pieces with their tips entering said holes transversely, as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination, with foot-plates `secured to a door and pins rising therefrom and having notches in their side faces, of a desk having sockets or holes in its feet, adapted to pass over said pins, and bolts carried by the desk and adapted torenter said notches, as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination, with foot-platesv secured to a fioor and pins rising therefrom and having beveled upper ends and notches in their side faces, of a desk having sockets or holes in its feet adapted to pass `over said pins, a hollow rung connecting the end pieces of the desk, a rock-shaft therein, rods secured to the ends of said shaft and having eyes, bolts having eyes at oneend linked into the eyes of the rods,their other ends entering the feet and transversely intersecting said holes, and springs bearing said bolts toward the holes, as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a desk, the combination, with the top and the end pieces, a board secured between the end pieces beneath the top, and a hinged strip at the rear edge of said board, of blocks passing through saidend pieces and having their upper ends beveled, and leaf-springs throwing said blocks normally inward, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof weaflx our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT PARKER. SANFORD W. LE NEVE.

Witnesses:

H. LAWRENCE, W. H. ELLIOTT.

IOO 

